The J&K government dismissed from service suspended sub-judge Rajesh Kumar Abrol on Friday.
On October 23, the judge was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in jail for raping and cheating a woman petitioner, who had appeared in his court in 2018 to seek justice in case of a matrimonial dispute.
“The lieutenant governor is pleased to accord sanction to the dismissal of the services of Rajesh Kumar Abrol as civil judge (senior division) sub-judge (under suspension) with effect from October 21, 2021,” read an order issued by secretary, law, Achal Sethi.
The government invoked Article 311 of the Constitution following recommendations of the full court of the high court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
On October 21, a fast-track court had convicted Abrol in Jammu for rape and cheating a woman who had sought legal help from him in 2018.
“The conclusion that emerges from the discussion is that all the evidence on record unerringly points toward the guilt of the accused,” Khalil Choudhary, presiding officer of the fast-track court, Jammu, had observed in his judgment.
The court had observed that all the evidence on record unerringly point toward the guilt of the accused.
{{/usCountry}}The court had observed that all the evidence on record unerringly point toward the guilt of the accused.
{{/usCountry}}The court observed: “Persons of influence, keeping in view their reach, impact and authority they wield on the general public or the specific class to which they belong owe a duty and have to be more responsible they are expected to know and perceive the meaning of authority and law with experience and knowledge. It is reasonable to hold that they would be careful in their lives the reasonable man’s test would always be taken into consideration.”
The victim woman was a resident of Ramban and met Abrol of Lower Roop Nagar, Jammu, while she was contesting a case. Being a judicial officer, Abrol promised legal help and sought domestic support from her.
Having a minor girl to support, the woman started working in the house of the sub-judge, who also promised better education to her daughter. The accused promised her to pay ₹5,000 per month as salary.
For seeking legal support, the accused dissolved her marriage with her husband by getting a divorce deed which was notarised and the accused told one of his PSOs to be the witness to it, the prosecution said.
But the woman’s parents wanted her back with them. When Abrol got to know this, he filled her “maang” with “babuti” and told her that she was his wife now.
“By doing so, the accused secured her consent to have sexual intercourse with her. She succumbed to his pressure and did not share the same with anyone around,” the prosecution had submitted then.
As per the prosecution, after one year, the woman came to know that he had betrayed her by marrying her while being married to his second wife as he had already divorced his first wife.